At a session on the future of content at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Shekhar Kapur and A R Rahman discussed if Artificial Intelligence (AI) could replace the musician. In his response, Rahman said that people who liked his music from the ’90s say that he is not doing that stuff, adding that but if he keeps doing the same work that he did in the ’90s then he will be finished, and he needs to constantly evolve with time.

Addressing Rahman, Shekhar said, “This is the question that everyone wants to ask you – ‘Can you be replaced by AI? Can AR be replaced by AI?’ If I feed all of A R Rahman’s music into a machine and then play a scene from the film (for which music needs to be produced), and ask AI – ‘Give me a background (score) that Rahman would do,’ Do you think that would be possible?”

AR Rahman said, “As human beings, we all evolve. I grew up with south Indian folk music, and then I was exposed to Hollywood and all other kinds of music later. My influence at that time was rebellious. I wanted to do something else, so I did north Indian classical music and then used tribal music. And the core was Tamil lyrics, and those lyrics grounded my songs. It was different as it was about what I had learned, what I was aspiring to be, and what I wanted my music to be. So, the multiple emotions behind music-making were what directors were asking me to do. So, it was not just a piece of music. Sometimes we’d just underplay, sometimes it was just the voice. Then it was piano. Then from 2000-2010, the world changed – Dolby came, and then from 2010, technology advanced. The world is evolving, and so are challenges.”

Shekhar told the audience, “He is not answering the question I asked. Can AI replace AR or not?” Rahman smiled and took the microphone from him and said, “What I am saying is that all these factors determine my compositions. So A R of the ‘90s is very different from A R now. And those who like my music from the ‘90s say, ‘Oh! He is not doing that stuff. ’ But if I do the same stuff, then I will be finished. I need to evolve; I’m the AI (laughs).”

An audience member asked Rahman, “In a previous interview, you were asked about your source of creativity for your songs and you said, ‘I keep some empty space in my heart, and music comes out of that.’ Is it still the same source?”

Rahman responded, “Our mind is connected to the universe through our consciousness. We bow to the creator and the creator’s every aspect of creation is different – every animal, bird and insect is different; every microorganism is different; all of us are different. To match that, we have to acknowledge that. And to acknowledge that itself is creativity. It brings you inspiration from the supreme.”